Phytochemical-Loaded Biodegradable Nanoemulsions for Eradication of Fungal Biofilms

Fungal infections are an escalating health threat, especially in hard-to-treat biofilm-associated infections. Candida species are the most widespread drivers of wound biofilm and biomedical device-associated infections. In this study, biodegradable nanoemulsions (BNEs) were fabricated by encapsulating active components of three different essential oils—carvacrol (C-BNE), geraniol (G-BNE), and eugenol (E-BNE)—in a polymeric scaffold with a biodegradable crosslinker. The antibiofilm efficacy of BNEs was assessed against 2-day-old biofilms of multiple Candida species. C-BNE showed maximum effectiveness against all fungal biofilms as compared to G-BNE and E-BNE. Confocal microscopy further demonstrated that C-BNE efficiently penetrated the biofilm and killed the fungal cells by compromising cell membrane integrity. Overall, this study highlights the potential of essential oil-loaded nanoemulsions against drug-resistant biofilm-associated fungal infections.